Viral meningitis and encephalitis in Saudi Arabia.

The laboratory confirmation of twelve clinically diagnosed cases of aseptic meningitis and encephalitis is described. Among three cases of aseptic meningitis one was due to mumps in a 14-month infant and the other two attributable to Cocksackie B-1. Herpes virus encephalitis due to HSV-1 was conclusively identified by IF monoclonal test from brain biopsy in tissue culture, and a further four cases also of HSV-1 encephalitis by virus isolation from CSF and presence of significant levels of herpes virus antibody in CSF and serum. Measles encephalitis was identified in four pediatric patients with one based on the isolation of measles virus from the CSF and in the other three with significant CSF/serum ratios to measles virus.